FanHouse Reggie Kelly

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Team best known for self-destruction and felonies! Yes, only in America ... it's the Cincinnati Bengals. Honestly though, the troubled times seem to be in the past, as the Bengals are preaching team unity and singing a new tune heading into the upcoming season. Under the radar? Sleepers? Well, when was the last time we heard such chatter as it relates to the Bengals? Hold tight, let's watch this story develop. However, you heard it here first (sort of): The Bengals have some fantasy potential.

They possess one of the top quarterbacks in the league (when healthy), a stable of cast-off running backs, a troubled receiving corps with "rebound" potential and the capability to be an explosive offense, again. Will the line hold up to keep Carson healthy? Will Ochocinco snap back into circa 2005 form? A lot of questions, but you already know there is gonna be risk with these guys. However, this year they do offer a sliver of hope that they will indeed reward.

The Falcons have made an offer to tight end Reggie Kelly, a name you'll probably recognize since he's played for Atlanta before.

Kelly was drafted by the Falcons back in 1999, and played four years for them. He then left for Cincinnati, where his role changed significantly. Atlanta seemed to want Kelly to be a pass catching tight end, while he's mostly blocked for the Bengals. The Falcons drafted Kelly in the second round, and I think they kind of saw him as a bust by the time he left the team. The tide has turned though, and I think Kelly would be a good fit for the Falcons running game.

Reggie Kelly is one of the more selfless players in the NFL and he's also an excellent locker room presence. Carson Palmer has publicly stated that the Bengals need to bring him back, leading me to believe he'd help the Falcons if he signs. Guys like this don't get a lot of press, but you'll inevitably find quite a few Reggie Kelly types on the rosters of playoff teams and Super Bowl champs.

The Bengals resigned Kenny Watson to a three year deal on Friday, which has to make you think that Chris Perry isn't being counted on for the 2007 season.

Watson is a solid third down back who does a lot of little things well. He's also an excellent special teams player, something that Marvin Lewis really seems to love from the non-marquee players. It's a smart move, because I'll be shocked if Perry is ever healthy enough to make a difference again.

This signing continued the Bengals focus on resigning most of their own free agent players, and a Bengals spokesman confirmed on Friday that the club had no outside free agent visits to confirm, which is a shame. Injuries had a lot to do with the Bengals troubles this past year, so they might not need an influx of players as much as other fringe playoff teams, but that doesn't mean a big free agent signing wouldn't have been helpful. That's never been owner Mike Brown's way of operating though, and he's apparently not changing now. My guess is that the Bengals will resign a couple more of their own free agents (Kevin Kaesviharn, maybe Reggie Kelly and Anthony Wright), possibly sign a lower tier free agent or two, and that'll be it.

That's the way the Bengals do things, and yet I find myself disappointed every single free agency season anyway. You'd think I'd know better than to hope for an Adalius Thomas type signing by now, but apparently not.

More: Watson re-signs for three years - Mark Curnutte's Blog
QB Wright to visit Denver - Mark Curnutte's Blog

Nice article today in the Post talking about the Bengals' tight end situation. They've only kept two this season, Tony Stewart and Reggie Kelly, as opposed to their more customary three. Stewart and Kelly both seem to have awesome attitudes about their roles in the Bengals offense, which is to mostly block. The Bengals probably throw less to their tight ends than any other team in the NFL.

Which makes me wonder why so many Bengals fans have been crying for a tight end all offseason. Everyone I talk to and everything I've read online seems to want a new tight end for the Bengals. Many even wanted them to use their first round draft pick on a tight end, which I really didn't understand. It seems pretty clear to me that offense wasn't the problem for this team last season, so why worry overly much about adding another weapon? The Bengals did the right thing by emphasizing defense in the draft and not taking a tight end.

I realize that having a stud pass catching tight end looks enticing, but realistically I don't think someone like Antonio Gates would help the Bengals as much as he would other teams. Carson has so many targets already, and there's only so many passes to go around. And really would you rather a tight end get balls thrown his way over opportunties for Chad, TJ, and Chris Henry? The Bengals offense works using the tight end as an extra blocker, and Cincinnati's lucky to have guys like Kelly and Stewart who accept a blocking role, and seem to thrive with it. Kudos to them for their excellent attitudes.

More: Tight ends realize catches a bonus - Cincinnati Post